Week one is in the books.
Did you survive?? I hope the answer is 'yes', and I also hope that you're starting to get a sense of how "easy" it is - meats and veggies.
Okay, okay, so there's a little more time involved in getting your meat and veggies together (which I'll go into detail about later), but send in what recipes you've made so others can expand their cooking skills and taste buds.
Take an assessment of yourself - stress, sleep, complexion, clothes, mood, wod results, etc.
Do you notice a change at all? A little more chill or less stressed? Sleeping more soundly? Less stuffy? Pants feeling a little looser? Feeling stronger?
It might be too early to tell, but keep those things in mind over the course of the next few weeks.
And keep filling out your tracking spreadsheet. If you're not sure if you're eating enough or think you're eating too much, send it to me (or give me rights to view it in Google), and I'll give you my unprofessional opinion.
Additionally - be honest! Any penalties? Own up! Write it down, do your penalty workout, then move on. Heck, I ordered a salad from Panera this weekend and asked for it sans cheese, but still found a few speckles of cheese mixed in. Yep. Oh well.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Friday, January 28, 2011
How to Guide - Surviving the Weekend
It's Friday! Day 5! You made it through the week! Congrats!
Now we head into the weekend where you get away from the Monday through Friday/9 to 5 routine where you knew what you were going to eat and when. I bet it looked something like this:
Breakfast - 8AM
Snack - 11AM
Lunch - 1:30PM
Snack - 3:30PM
Dinner - 7PM
*8 or 9PM bedtime so you get a FULL 8 hours of sleep, correct???
Pretty close?
The times might be *slightly* off, but you get the idea - it's fairly consent throughout the week or on set days throughout the week (MWF, etc)
So now we have two days with no time restrictions. You could maybe sleep in a bit longer (8+ hrs = points!), take a nap later in the day, wander around a farmer's market, and just enjoy some free time away from the office.
Free time can lead to boredom, which can lead to mindless eating while standing at the kitchen counter. We want to avoid this cycle. We want to avoid this mindless eating. I want you to eat your food sitting down where you can relax and enjoy your creation.
Here are a few tips for surviving the weekends:
- Get into a routine. This doesn't have to be a 'to do' list where you must fill your every waking hour with something to keep you busy. No. Try to eat your meals around the same time you normally would if you're hungry. It's what your body is used to 5 days a week, so stick to it while you're in 'reset' mode and weening your body off the processed carbs and sugar.
- Plan - Check out some cookbooks, scan the internet, and look at the links I included in my first ever Paleo email to you. I listed 3-5 good sites you can use for recipe ideas. I'm in the process of getting those links here on the blog and coming up with an additional section to house your recipes. (send them to me!)
- Shop - You don't *have* to buy organic if you can't afford it, but also look for locally grown foods as well as food in bulk - especially meat. Remember - good, better, best - when thinking about quality, but go with what you can afford.
- Prepare and cook - Use the weekend so you're not as rushed during the week and you can easily pull out the fixings for a meal. Try out new recipes you've found online.
*Chop veggies, hard boil eggs, grill chicken, roast a turkey breast, make chilly, bake sweet potatoes, pot roast in the slow cooker, etc.
*You are only limited by your imagination.
Check out this Guide to the Grocery Store from Whole9 for additional stopping tips and tricks.
- Stay hydrated - It's a simple thing to do. Carry a bottle with you and sip on it throughout the day. Use the guideline of drinking half your bodyweight in ounces of water every day.
- Going out? - Take something to snack on - fruit, nuts, trail mix, etc - or eat before you go. Don't shop when your stomach is growling. And take your water
- Don't obsess about food - Easier said than done, of course, but this is meant to be easy in the sense of what you can eat - meats, veggies, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch, no sugar. Sure, it can go into more detail and that is something everyone is figuring out - almond milk? supplements? calcium? fruit? eggs and cholesterol? too high in fat? what do I eat for breakfast?
The pressure comes from within - making food you like and avoiding boredom of eating the same thing day in and day out. Think of all the possibilities of the foods you can eat and don't dwell on what you can't have. Your meals don't have to be exotic; make them flavorful and make them yours.
Use this blog and each other as a resource because you're not alone in this challenge. I'm doing it, too, and I did my 100 squats yesterday when I realized I had something that's on the 'banned' list. Oops. Penalty served.
Again, keep doing your own research if you're skeptical about how removing gluten, grains, and sugar from your everyday eating can actually be good for you.
Keep the questions coming either by comment, Facebook, or email. There's so much more in the works and I'm trying to get something new posted every day. Keep checking back!
Thanks for all the feedback.
Now we head into the weekend where you get away from the Monday through Friday/9 to 5 routine where you knew what you were going to eat and when. I bet it looked something like this:
Breakfast - 8AM
Snack - 11AM
Lunch - 1:30PM
Snack - 3:30PM
Dinner - 7PM
*8 or 9PM bedtime so you get a FULL 8 hours of sleep, correct???
Pretty close?
The times might be *slightly* off, but you get the idea - it's fairly consent throughout the week or on set days throughout the week (MWF, etc)
So now we have two days with no time restrictions. You could maybe sleep in a bit longer (8+ hrs = points!), take a nap later in the day, wander around a farmer's market, and just enjoy some free time away from the office.
Free time can lead to boredom, which can lead to mindless eating while standing at the kitchen counter. We want to avoid this cycle. We want to avoid this mindless eating. I want you to eat your food sitting down where you can relax and enjoy your creation.
Here are a few tips for surviving the weekends:
- Get into a routine. This doesn't have to be a 'to do' list where you must fill your every waking hour with something to keep you busy. No. Try to eat your meals around the same time you normally would if you're hungry. It's what your body is used to 5 days a week, so stick to it while you're in 'reset' mode and weening your body off the processed carbs and sugar.
- Plan - Check out some cookbooks, scan the internet, and look at the links I included in my first ever Paleo email to you. I listed 3-5 good sites you can use for recipe ideas. I'm in the process of getting those links here on the blog and coming up with an additional section to house your recipes. (send them to me!)
- Shop - You don't *have* to buy organic if you can't afford it, but also look for locally grown foods as well as food in bulk - especially meat. Remember - good, better, best - when thinking about quality, but go with what you can afford.
- Prepare and cook - Use the weekend so you're not as rushed during the week and you can easily pull out the fixings for a meal. Try out new recipes you've found online.
*Chop veggies, hard boil eggs, grill chicken, roast a turkey breast, make chilly, bake sweet potatoes, pot roast in the slow cooker, etc.
*You are only limited by your imagination.
Check out this Guide to the Grocery Store from Whole9 for additional stopping tips and tricks.
- Stay hydrated - It's a simple thing to do. Carry a bottle with you and sip on it throughout the day. Use the guideline of drinking half your bodyweight in ounces of water every day.
- Going out? - Take something to snack on - fruit, nuts, trail mix, etc - or eat before you go. Don't shop when your stomach is growling. And take your water
- Don't obsess about food - Easier said than done, of course, but this is meant to be easy in the sense of what you can eat - meats, veggies, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch, no sugar. Sure, it can go into more detail and that is something everyone is figuring out - almond milk? supplements? calcium? fruit? eggs and cholesterol? too high in fat? what do I eat for breakfast?
The pressure comes from within - making food you like and avoiding boredom of eating the same thing day in and day out. Think of all the possibilities of the foods you can eat and don't dwell on what you can't have. Your meals don't have to be exotic; make them flavorful and make them yours.
Use this blog and each other as a resource because you're not alone in this challenge. I'm doing it, too, and I did my 100 squats yesterday when I realized I had something that's on the 'banned' list. Oops. Penalty served.
Again, keep doing your own research if you're skeptical about how removing gluten, grains, and sugar from your everyday eating can actually be good for you.
Keep the questions coming either by comment, Facebook, or email. There's so much more in the works and I'm trying to get something new posted every day. Keep checking back!
Thanks for all the feedback.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
What's your take on supplements/vitamins?
Other than fish oil, what 'magic pills' do you ingest? Did you stop taking that multi-vitamin? CoQ12? (I'm not even sure if that's real) St. John's Wort? Creatine? Post workout shake?
What's your take on vitamins and why do you take them? Should they be allowed? If so, what would you take?
Discuss.. a blog post will follow based on the comments.
What's your take on vitamins and why do you take them? Should they be allowed? If so, what would you take?
Discuss.. a blog post will follow based on the comments.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Paleo for when you're on-the-go
We are always on the move - metro, car, bike - and for some folks that includes having to fly somewhere for work or dine out with clients. It is possible to stay on track when you get out of your routine and have to go to new places were your usual foods might not be readily available.
Here are some basic tips to help you out.
1. Pack your own food
- Jerky
- Almonds, macadamia nuts, pecans, etc
- Fruit - fresh, dried
- Veggies
- Hard boiled eggs
- Sweet potato cubes.
- Tuna fish packets (read the list of ingredients)
- Avocados (slice it pre-flight. Good luck getting a knife through security)
- WATER
This should help you avoid mindless snacking. Do your best to stay in a routine of eating at times when you normally eat.
So what about actual meals? Eating at an airport? Dinner with clients? All day conferences?
The same rules apply - plan ahead and pack ahead.
2. Airport
- See above
- Do research before you fly and see what the eating options are at the airport and in your terminal.
- If you need to buy from a magazine/snack kiosk, look for raw almonds
- It will most likely be fast food places, but you can make a burger paleo (mostly) by ordering it without the bun and nixing the condiments. Go for a side of veggies (no fries) or a side salad topped with oil and vinegar for dressing.
3. Dining out/fast food
- Don't be afraid to use the excuse that you have an allergy to something (wheat) when told 'Help yourself to the bottomless bucket of breadsticks'. It's more sympathetic than saying that you're on a diet since people know that diets don't last.
***This is not a diet!***
- As mentioned above, you can make a burger paleo by ordering it sans bun.
- Chipotle and Baja Fresh have the bowl options. Skip the rice and beans and go for meat (double), extra veggies (peppers and onions), and top it with guacamole. It's delicious and filling.
- Start with a salad or broth based soup (might be tough). Keep the meal simple and remember the motto of the challenge - meat and veggies and healthy fats. Look for steaks with a dry rub (no Jack Daniel's sauce), baked/grilled chicken (not Parmesan), and a side of veggies. Double it! Sneak some almonds into the restaurant and snack on those, too.
You can get away with snacks at conferences where they usually have trays of cookies and other processed carbs. Keep a water bottle with you, but most places will have bottled water. If sandwiches are served for lunch, remove the bread and eat the meat/veggies inside. Don't dwell on how hungry you might be - you are a healthy individual and will make it to your next meal!
Here are some basic tips to help you out.
1. Pack your own food
- Jerky
- Almonds, macadamia nuts, pecans, etc
- Fruit - fresh, dried
- Veggies
- Hard boiled eggs
- Sweet potato cubes.
- Tuna fish packets (read the list of ingredients)
- Avocados (slice it pre-flight. Good luck getting a knife through security)
- WATER
This should help you avoid mindless snacking. Do your best to stay in a routine of eating at times when you normally eat.
So what about actual meals? Eating at an airport? Dinner with clients? All day conferences?
The same rules apply - plan ahead and pack ahead.
2. Airport
- See above
- Do research before you fly and see what the eating options are at the airport and in your terminal.
- If you need to buy from a magazine/snack kiosk, look for raw almonds
- It will most likely be fast food places, but you can make a burger paleo (mostly) by ordering it without the bun and nixing the condiments. Go for a side of veggies (no fries) or a side salad topped with oil and vinegar for dressing.
3. Dining out/fast food
- Don't be afraid to use the excuse that you have an allergy to something (wheat) when told 'Help yourself to the bottomless bucket of breadsticks'. It's more sympathetic than saying that you're on a diet since people know that diets don't last.
***This is not a diet!***
- As mentioned above, you can make a burger paleo by ordering it sans bun.
- Chipotle and Baja Fresh have the bowl options. Skip the rice and beans and go for meat (double), extra veggies (peppers and onions), and top it with guacamole. It's delicious and filling.
- Start with a salad or broth based soup (might be tough). Keep the meal simple and remember the motto of the challenge - meat and veggies and healthy fats. Look for steaks with a dry rub (no Jack Daniel's sauce), baked/grilled chicken (not Parmesan), and a side of veggies. Double it! Sneak some almonds into the restaurant and snack on those, too.
You can get away with snacks at conferences where they usually have trays of cookies and other processed carbs. Keep a water bottle with you, but most places will have bottled water. If sandwiches are served for lunch, remove the bread and eat the meat/veggies inside. Don't dwell on how hungry you might be - you are a healthy individual and will make it to your next meal!
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
A place to gather
Hey folks..
Day 2!
I'm starting this up in hopes of having a central location that we can all congregate (group hug!), ask/answer questions, and share ideas on how to get through the day, survive office parties, and learn to cook and enjoy food.
Instead of 'spamming' you with email every day, keep an eye on the blog for some Q&A, recipes, etc. When something new is posted, I'll post a link to it on the CrossFit Capitol Hill Facebook page if you are a Facebook follower, and this will keep you from checking back and hitting 'refresh' every day. For those who aren't on Facebook, just check back at your leisure.
Soooo.. just post questions in the 'comments' section, or email me questions if you want to remain anonymous. I do have a growing list of emails that will now become future blog posts, so hang in there!
I hope you can all answer 'yes' to the following questions:
- Are you tracking your food, sleep, stress, etc?
- Do you know what you're having for dinner tonight?
- Did you pack enough food for today? Did you learn your lesson to pack more after Day 1?
Jen
Day 2!
I'm starting this up in hopes of having a central location that we can all congregate (group hug!), ask/answer questions, and share ideas on how to get through the day, survive office parties, and learn to cook and enjoy food.
Instead of 'spamming' you with email every day, keep an eye on the blog for some Q&A, recipes, etc. When something new is posted, I'll post a link to it on the CrossFit Capitol Hill Facebook page if you are a Facebook follower, and this will keep you from checking back and hitting 'refresh' every day. For those who aren't on Facebook, just check back at your leisure.
Soooo.. just post questions in the 'comments' section, or email me questions if you want to remain anonymous. I do have a growing list of emails that will now become future blog posts, so hang in there!
I hope you can all answer 'yes' to the following questions:
- Are you tracking your food, sleep, stress, etc?
- Do you know what you're having for dinner tonight?
- Did you pack enough food for today? Did you learn your lesson to pack more after Day 1?
Jen
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